From left to right: Buchanan, Payne, Hoyt.

From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On 2-7-2014, approximately 11:20 a.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a burglary victim who resided in the 1900 block of Simmons Road, Eureka. When the investigating deputy arrived on scene, the 62 year old male victim who is the homeowner told the deputy he left his home for a few minutes to go to the store. The victim said he may have accidentally left his front door unlocked when he left his residence at approximately 11:00 a.m. When he came home at 11:20 a.m. he found his residence has been burglarized. Several loaded handguns, rifles, a safe, electronics and personal documents were stolen. The victim believed the suspect(s) were possibly watching his home and saw him leave.

The investigating deputy checked the neighborhood and spoke with a neighbor who unknowingly witnessed the burglary. The neighbor told the deputy he saw the victim leave his home about 11:00 a.m. The neighbor then saw a newer model silver colored Jeep type of vehicle drive with flood lights above the windshield drive into a driveway a few doors down from the neighbor’s residence. Two males in their twenties exited the vehicle and walked up to the victim’s front door. They knocked on the front door several times and then walked into the home. The neighbor assumed it was the victim’s son and a friend. The suspects repositioned their vehicle into the victim’s driveway and loaded some items into it and then drove off. The neighbor had no idea the suspects had burglarized the victims home.

On 2-7-2014, at approximately 4:30 p.m. the investigating deputy was dispatched to the 8000 block of Sitka Springs Road, Eureka regarding a safe located in the woods. A citizen had located the safe while hiking a trail. The deputy recovered the safe which had been stolen from the Simmons road residence. The safe had been forced open and all its contents removed. The deputy was aware of a burglar, Joshua Buchanan, who was on formal probation and lived in the area where the safe was recovered. Buchanan was on felony probation with a search clause. The deputy drove to the residence where Buchanan lived and learned from Buchanan’s parents that Buchanan was not at the residence, but was living in a motorhome in Eureka. The deputy also learned Buchanan had access to his father’s Silver Humvee which was similar in description to the “Jeep type vehicle”, the witness described.

On 2-10-2014, approximately 5:00 p.m. another deputy located the motorhome Buchanan was associated with in the EZ Landing trailer park, King Salmon. The deputy saw Buchanan was leaning in a White 1995 Chevy Tahoe talking with another male, later identified as Cameron Payne. Buchanan started to immediately walk away from the deputy who detained Buchanan and Payne. A probation search of Buchanan revealed an approximate 4 gram bag of suspected Heroin in his pants pocket, and another .5 gram bag with suspected methamphetamine in another pants pocket. Buchanan was arrested for possession of the drugs. The deputy learned Payne was also on probation with a search clause. The deputy searched Payne and located a syringe with suspected Heroin in it in his pocket. Payne was arrested for possession of drugs.

Additional deputies arrived on scene and searched the motorhome pursuant to the probation clause. The deputies located stolen property for a residential burglary which occurred at a residence in the 5400 block of Pinecrest Court, Eureka on 2-9-2014. The recovered property included electronics, old coins and other collectibles.

While searching Buchanan’s motorhome deputies learned some of the stolen property from the Simmons lane residence may be located at a residence at 2575 Alliance Road, Arcata. Deputies drove to that location at 10:00 p.m. They learned the resident at that address was Jeremiah Hoyt who was on probation with a search clause. Deputies searched the residence and located items stolen from the Simmons lane residence including three firearms and electronics.

Deputies learned several of the stolen items had been pawned at local pawn shops and are working with the pawn shops to recover and return the stolen property to the victims.

Joshua Douglas Buchanan, 27 years old, from Eureka, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, Ppossession of stolen property and violation of probation. Cameron Tyler Payne, 24 years old from Eureka, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation. Jeremiah Lee Hoyt, 23 years old, from Arcata was arrested for possession of stolen property and violation of probation. All three were transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. Their bail was set at $25,000.00 each.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.